You'll work your traps, rear delts, rotator cuffs, and mid-back muscles as well as prevent against injuries. For this version of the exercise, you'll need a cable machine with a rope attachment. The face pull is a dynamic exercise that increases strength in the shoulders, more specifically the rear regions of the shoulder. The low-impact option will allow you to really emphasize the squeeze in your shoulder blades. Register New Account Log in to renew or change an existing membership. So while upright rows work more muscles, the shrug allows you to work a solitary muscle harder, as you can use far more weight when performing shrugs. The face pull is a great pull exercise to help strengthen the muscles of the shoulders and upper back including lower traps, rear delts and rotator cuff that will offset the pulling work that you are doing in the rest of your workouts. Traditionally, face pulls are performed with the pulley at face height, making it a type of exercise known as a horizontal pull. By building up and placing focus on the rear deltoids with face pulls you’ll improve your posture over time, you’ll no longer find your shoulders rolled/slumped forward. A broad back and strong shoulders can be some of the most important components to a healthy body—but the muscle groups can be tough to work, since your shoulder joints are delicate mechanisms. Not many exercises can effectively target the rear delts like the cable face pull can. It is a great exercise for correcting rounded shoulders and strengthening the back muscles. Enter the face pull. The face pull might not be as glamorous as the bench or overhead press, but it’s one that should absolutely be part of your routine. FACE PULL: 4 sets x 8-12 reps. Set up a cable with a rope attachment so that it is in line with your head and grab each end of the rope. Retract the scapulae (squeeze your partner's finger with your shoulder blades) and pull the center of the rope slightly up towards the face. Far too many guys wind up out of the gym with shoulder injuries after pushing themselves beyond their capacities, so it pays to train smart. Step 1 Stand in front of a medium-height rotating pulley and grab each side of the rope attachment. Join 7500+ other go-getters and get FREE updates on how to build muscle, shred fat and cultivate an unbreakable mindset. Grasp the rope with both hands, palms face in. The Face Pull is the first component of this two-exercise combination. Trapezius is best engaged using vertical and horizontal pulling exercises. You’ll likely be recruiting more of your lower back as well as be rounding your shoulders at the end of each repetition if you perform these with speed. Take a few steps back from the tower to extend the cable. Return to the starting position, making sure to keep your shoulders up. Especially for those that do a lot of pressing-type exercises … Step back away from machine until arms are fully extended in front of you. Assist In Build A Thick & Commanding Upper Back. Danielle specializes in interpreting and reporting the latest health research and also writes and edits in-depth service pieces about fitness, training, and nutrition. Add 3 – 4 sets of face pulls into your workout regime twice a week and reap the benefits. External Rotators (Infraspinatus and Teres Minor) 4. Now, there is a safety concern with the face pull since the shoulders … Try to start out with low weight, working to maintain posture and form. Not only are they great for building size, but as we’ll discuss below in a moment they are a key exercise for keeping your body running well in general. Grasp it overhand, as in a triceps extension, sit your hips back, and pull the cable to the bridge of your nose. Keep a strong athletic stance, activating your core and glutes. You will not find a guy out there with impressive shoulders that isn’t consciously targetting the anterior, medial and posterior (rear) deltoids with various exercises. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull the handles of the rope in toward your face. Face pulls are a great exercise for the rear deltoids, trapezius, and upper back muscles.2 Robert Herbst, a 19-time World Champion powerlifter, personal trainer, and wellness coachsays, "They help keep the shoulders squared and back so someone doesn't get the pulled-forward look from doing too much chest and front delt work. You probably do a lot of pushing exercises at the gym (think: bench presses and pushups), so the face pull is a great way to balance all of that pushing out with some pulling. Unless you’re consciously focused on improving this ratio chances are you’re performing far, far more pushing based exercises (think bench press, military press etc.). 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